Chosen Solution

I run a small iPhone repair business. It takes me 10-15 minutes to take the iPhone apart. but 35-45 MINUTES TO PUT IT BACK TOGETHER! The screws are so hard to work with! What can I do to improve the speed of putting it back together? I’ll take any advice! Thank you Rob

In general, magnetic screw mats really help with keeping screws organized. If you’re looking for an iPhone-specific solution, you might like the magnetic screw mats that iFixit sells for the CDMA (Verizon/Sprint) iPhone 4, the GSM (ATT) iPhone 4, the iPhone 3G/3GS, and the iPhone 4S. For a more general solution, there’s this magnetic organizer mat. It even has little trays for non-magnetic parts :) Edit: I’ve used magnetic mats in my repairs, and have never had a problem with them. To be on the safe side, just keep the LCD and battery off of the mats, and you should be fine. The magnetic field from these type of mats isn’t strong enough to damage things from a distance. :)

Usually I don’t remove the last six screws that hold the screen. I just loosen up them a bit. You might have to shake a bit when replacing the new screen but this saves the frustration of putting back those screws with these tiny rings.

Make sure you’re using the correct Philips screw driver. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve had customers bring me back iPhones with stripped screws. If your driver is not snug or spinning even a little while fastening or loosening… It is the wrong driver. Also please note that the tools you get free from most lcd replacement buys are not the right driver. They are smaller and will strip screws.

practice makes perfect, use to take me an hour to do the full repair of touchscreen replacement or anything. I learned that other technicians in the area do it in 20 minutes. This was starting to become a turning point for customers. Each repair now takes me a total 18minutes for the iPhone full repair. I use to follow the tape ways, etc but that was really slowing down the process. My solution to you, when you take a screw out place it in front of you where u took it out, and make an invisible phone. So when u put them back you just put them back where they came from based on the invisible phone. Its also mostly you have to memorize each screw, its not as hard as you think. iPhone is one of the quickest and easiest repairs out there.

Do it more, ALOT, embrace failure, and practice practice practice (BE THE IPHONE)

If we’re talking about an iPhone 4 CDMA, I just timed myself and did it in 9 minutes and 14 seonds, I seen this video on youtube of a guy doing it in 7 minutes and 11 seconds. The only thing that is bringing my time to be so terrible is picking up the screws, I have to individually touch every single one, any ideas for picking them up better? I am just using an anti-static mat, nothing magnetic. Any ideas will be greatly appreciated! #GuinessHereWeCome